Measuring current

The current drawn by the nRF52832 device can be monitored on
the nRF52 PDK.

To measure the current, you must first prepare the development kit by cutting the shorting of solder
bridge SB9. There are two ways of measuring the current consumption: using an
ampere-meter or an oscilloscope.

Ampere-meter:

Connect an ampere-meter between the pins of connector P22. This will monitor
the current directly.

Figure 1. Current measurement with ampere-meter

Oscilloscope:

Mount a resistor on the footprint for R6. The resistor should not be larger
than 10 Ω.

Connect an oscilloscope in differential mode or similar with two probes on the pins of
the P22 connector.

Measure the voltage drop. The voltage drop will be proportional to the current
consumption. For example, if a 10 Ω resistor is chosen, 10 mV equals 1 mA.

Figure 2. Current measurement with oscilloscope

Important: The current measurements will become unreliable when a serial terminal is
connected to the Virtual COM port.